Your diet has a significant impact on your overall health. Poor diet habits can lead to a number of problems, including tooth decay and gum disease. If you are concerned about your oral health, take a look at your diet. There are certain foods that can impact your oral health. Read on to learn about the worst foods for your oral health.
Sugary foods and drinks
When sugar combines with oral bacteria, it creates an acid that eats through tooth enamel. The more frequently you consume sugary food and drinks, the more harmful acids you will expose your teeth to. Soda and juice are especially damaging because of their high acidity levels. If you want to protect your smile from decay and other oral health issues, limit your consumption of sugary food and drink.
Hard candies and lollipops
Avoid eating hard candy or sucking on lollipops. This is one of the worst things you can eat for your oral health, as it can damage enamel and make teeth more vulnerable to decay. While all candy is not good for your teeth, hard candies are the worst! Hard candies also tend to stick in the crevices of teeth and stay there for a long time and causing more tooth decay. Sucking on lollipops also creates a sugar bath in your mouth that feeds the bacteria that cause tooth decay. Be sure to brush and floss after indulging in these foods.
Soft drinks
Sugary beverages like soda and energy drinks can be harmful to your teeth. In fact, they’re more harmful than sports drinks because, with some of them, the acid in the drink actually eats away at your enamel. Plus, the sugar in these drinks causes cavities quickly. The same goes for energy drinks, which are full of sugar. This makes you more susceptible to staining and yellowing over time.
Coffee and tea
Coffee and tea are both highly acidic drinks that can cause wear or erosion of tooth enamel from your saliva. It is best to limit your consumption of these beverages to a maximum of two cups a day and rinse your mouth afterward. A more healthy alternative to coffee and tea is to drink unsweetened herbal tea or plain water. Limit the amount of sugar you add to your hot tea as well.
Sports drinks
Sports drinks contain a large amount of added sugar which can lead to tooth decay. Also, the sugars in the sports drink will fall into the crevices between your teeth and gums and can lead to decay over time if they are not properly cleaned away by brushing and flossing your teeth. If you are an athlete who needs a boost of electrolytes during an event, try coconut water which has anti-inflammatory properties that are great for your body as well as your teeth.
Wine
Red wine can stain your teeth because the pigments in red wine are strong enough to seep through tooth enamel, which is the outermost layer of the tooth. If you drink a lot of red wine over a short period of time, the stains may appear almost black in color. Fortunately, you can prevent staining by rinsing your mouth with water after drinking white wine or red or swishing with mouthwash if you’ve already finished your glass. You can also brush, floss, and rinse with an alcohol-free mouthwash after drinking wine to help remove any left-over food particles that could cause bacteria buildup in your mouth. Drinking water while you drink also helps to rinse any lingering sugars from your teeth.
To learn more, contact Sina Malekuti DDS, PC, at 6120 Brandon Ave Suite 303, Springfield, VA 22150, or call (703) 451-3211.